6 Quart Instant Pot Ultra

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Whats Not Included In This Guide

Instant Pot Ultra 6-Quart Review

Given Instant Pots popularity, Instant Brands expansion into other products was inevitable. Since its merger with Corelle in 2019, the brand has continued to improve upon its pressure cooker, but also added additional small appliances to its offerings, including air fryers, toaster ovens, air purifiers, and even a very not-instant precision slow cooker that works more like a Crock-Pot, but with added functionality.

For this in-depth Instant Pot buying guide, were covering the brands best-selling product: the pressure/multi-cooker. But as youll see, all of these Instant Pots have a slow-cooking function while a few can even be used as an air fryer or mini oven!

It Boils Down To Features And Price

Most people will debate between the Instant Pot Duo vs Ultra. Honestly, the Duo is the most popular model, and for good reason: it gets the job done and the price is reasonable, so it’ll be good for most people. However, if you’re the type of person who wants the fancy high-tech stuff and cost does not matter, then the Ultra is nice to have for the extra features.

Instant Pot Duo
No Yes

While the Duo is missing several functions, after using my Duo for over a year, I’ve come to realize that I really just need the Pressure/Manual and Sauté functions, with the occasional Steam for vegetables. Plus, the buttons are easier to use, since the Ultra knob is a tad finicky and sensitive, so you may waste some time just getting the knob on the right setting.

After using my Duo for over a year, I’ve come to realize that I don’t need any of the Ultra’s extra functions.

However, the Ultra is definitely nice with the auto-closing pressure valve. This means that you just lock the lid and the Ultra takes care of the sealing. With the Duo, you’ll need to manually check to make sure that the pressure valve is in the “Sealing” position, otherwise, the pressure won’t be able to build up. If you go with just the Duo, checking the valve is just something you need to make sure you do and it’s only a small, extra step.

First What Is An Instant Pot

Before diving into all the models, let us explain how an Instant Pot actually works. The Instant Pot is a multicooker appliance that can perform the functions of a variety of appliances in one tool. Every Instant Pot model can slow cook, pressure cook, keep your food warm and sauté, and all models can effectively cook rice, meat and soups. No matter which model you pick, you’ll get a pressure cooker that will help you prepare dishes in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional methods.

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Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart

The defining feature of the new Instant Pot Pro Plus Smart is that you can pair it with your iPhone or Android to automatically engage the cooking functions from more than 800 smart recipes on the Instant Brands Connect app. This doesnt mean you can press Start while youre at the office and come home to your Instant Pot braising ribs , but you can control almost everything through the appincluding the steam release! The Pro Plus Smart also features a premium inner pot with easy-grab handles and comes with NutriBoost, a function that mimics the motion of boiling by moving food in the pot to enhance the flavor and texture.

Built-in smart programs: Access 800+ smart recipes via the appFunctions: Pressure-cooking, rice-cooking, slow-cooking, yogurt-making, steaming, sautéing, food-warming, sous videcooking, baking, sterilizing, NutriBoostSizes available: 6-quart Instant Pot

Who This Is For

Ultra 6 Quart

If youre a set-it-and-forget-it type of cook who needs to get dinner on the table with minimal effort, an electric pressure cooker may become your new favorite cooking tool. Making meals can be stressful and time-consuming, but an electric pressure cooker can do a lot of the work for you. As with a slow cooker, you add your ingredients to a pressure cooker, seal the lid, turn it on, and walk away. But instead of leaving it to simmer all day, you can cook dinner in an electric pressure cooker in under an hour . Pressure cookers speed up traditional braising, stewing, boiling, and steaming methods by trapping steam inside the pot. As pressure increases, it heats the moisture in the pot beyond the boiling temperature , so it can cook foods more quickly.

  • After cooking many pounds of brisket, rice, and beans in six pressure cookers, we think the Fissler Vitaquick 8.5-Quart Pressure Cooker is the best you can get.

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What Size Instant Pot Should I Get

The Instant Pot comes in three sizes: 3 quarts, 6 quarts, and 8 quarts, making it a versatile countertop appliance for small kitchens and large families alike. The 6-quart Instant Pot is the most popular option for home cooks, as most recipes are written for that size. Generally, a meal cooked in a 6-quart model feeds three to six people. The 8-quart models, on the other hand, are ideal when youre feeding a large family, cooking for a party, or doing weekly meal prep. Last but not least is the 3-quart Instant Pot , which is perfect for cooking for one or two people or keeping in a small kitchen. While every model is available in the 6-quart size, not all models are available in the 3- and 8-quart sizes.

Instant Pot Smart Programs Vs Functions

Instant Pots are beloved because of their ability to cook foods quickly using pressure. But theyre also wildly popular, in part, because theyre true multi-cookers that can be used to braise, sauté, steam, and so much more. But all Instant Pots are not created equaler, not every model can perform every function, and theyre billed accordingly . All Instant Pots can pressure-cook, slow-cook, sauté, and keep warm, and fancier models tack on additional cooking methods like yogurt-making, sous vide cooking, broiling, and air-frying. The functions are customizable, and while you cant air-fry or broil in a model that doesnt have an air-frying lid, people still manage to bake cake in models that dont offer mini oven functionality and make yogurt in models that arent officially marketed for yogurt-making.

The Instant Pot Smart Programs allow you to engage each cookers listed functionality with the touch of a button. Many models also have additional Smart Programs that take the guesswork out of specific items like cake, yogurt, eggs, brown rice, and more. The buying guide below details which and how many functions and Smart Programs are available with each model.

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Instant Pot Ultra Review Conclusion

As food lovers who love to experiment with food, cooking, and kitchen gadgets, we thoroughly enjoyed testing the new Instant Pot Ultra.

From the packaging to the new look, new design, and new features, its an exciting new electric pressure cooker that cooks well. We especially love the flexibility and versatility of the customization.

Though there are a few areas that require some fine-tuning, the Instant Pot Company is definitely heading the right direction.

Which Is Better The Instant Pot Duo Or The Ultra

Instant Pot 6-qt Ultra 10-in-1 Digital Pressure Cooker on QVC

Which Instant Pot model is better the Instant Pot DUO or the ULTRA? This Instant Pot expert is comparing features, sizes, and more!

The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I appreciate your support of this site!

Tis the seasonfor Instant Pots to go on sale and to fill your holiday wishlist with all things electric pressure cooking!

If youre reading this now, youre probably in the market for a new Instant Pot. Maybe wondering which Instant Pot to purchase first, or perhaps just which to add to your collection. Maybe you are hoping for an Instant Pot under the tree, or on your doorstep the week after Thanksgiving.

I have been a huge fan of Instant Pots for a long time, so much so that I have owned four different models and wrote a cookbook dedicated to Instant Pot meals. I love how Instant Pots make kitchen prep easier and speed up meal time too.

A couple of years ago, I added an Instant Pot ULTRA to our collection. I wanted a second pot, but I also wanted an opportunity to compare two of the most popular Instant Pot models.

Ive used them side by side countless times and Im ready to share which Instant Pot I prefer and why.

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Instant Pot Ultra 6 Quart Review

Published: · Updated: Oct 24, 2020 by Aneesha · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases ·

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Hey Everyone, I recently got a new toy to play with- The Instant Pot ULTRA 6 Quart 10-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker! It’s the latest-greatest uber-cool addition to the famous Instant Pot family. As if looks weren’t enough, this pressure cooker is loaded with easy and customizable functions too. So, I took the ULTRA for a short test-drive to see if it lived up to the hype. Based on that, here is my Instant Pot ULTRA 6 Quart Review.

What Does An Instant Pot Do

Yeah, why can’t you just get a regular slow cooker? At their core, Instant Pots are electric pressure cookers. The proprietary locking lid creates a seal that heats any water inside far past its boiling point, turning it to steam. When that steam has nowhere else to go, it creates pressure thus cooking food 2-10 times faster than what an oven or slow cooker could do.

The Instant Pot’s heart is a microprocessor aided by built-in temperature sensors that give Instant Pots the ability to 1. Mimic the cooking functions of multiple different appliances and 2. Switch between those functions at the press of a button. This collection of programs can be tweaked and tailored to perform super specific tasks that you may have struggled with pre-Instant Pot . They get down to the nitty-gritty of heat intensity, pressure, and cooking duration to achieve more precise results in the kitchen. Some of the more advanced models even offer personalized programming and will remember your settings for the next time.

Each Instant Pot model gains a new cooking method or two, so you aren’t paying for functions you won’t use.

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Instant Pot Duo Vs Instant Pot Ultra: Which Should You Buy

Our Pick

The Instant Pot Duo is a seven-in-one multi-use pressure cooker, so it can also make yogurt, cook rice, stew, steam, and more. It’s the most popular version of the Instant Pot because it’s reasonably priced, comes in three size options, and you’ll often find it on sale somewhere.

For

  • Can’t sterilize or control temperature

High-tech

The Instant Pot Ultra does everything the Duo does, except with these added functions: Sterilize, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, and Ultra. The display looks a lot nicer and the auto-closing pressure valve means one less step between you and delicious meals. However, the knob is a tad sensitive and hard to use compared with regular buttons.

For

  • Larger and fancier display
  • Auto-closing pressure valve and safer pressure release button
  • The “Ultra” program allows users to manually control the temperature for precise cooking, similar to Sous Vide
  • Comes in three sizes
  • Uses a knob instead of buttons, and it’s less intuitive
  • More expensive

For most people, when it comes down to the Instant Pot Duo vs Ultra, the Duo is enough to get the job done. After all, there’s a reason why it’s the most popular Instant Pot model. However, the Ultra does have some very nice functions that make cooking even more convenient. It’s just slightly more in price, but could be worth the extra money.

The Instant Pot is a great buy all year long, but it is also a very popular sale item on Black Friday. Check out this year’s Instant Pot Black Friday deals going on now!

What About All Those Extra Functions

Instant Pot Ultra, 6 qt.

It’s a 10-in-1! The Duo Plus is only a 9-in-1! Take that!

What’s that? Whats the extra function? Umhang onlet me look.

I never use the extra functions. I use the Pressure Cook and Sauté modes, occasionally Keep Warm, and very occasionally Slow Cook. They can add all sorts of custom programs Im going to keep ignoring them.

OK, OK, if you insist. The new function is Ultra. From the Instant Pot website:

The Ultra program provides the user with complete control of pressure and non-pressure cooking. You can adjust the different settings based on your desired results.

What does that mean? Im not sure. Like I said above, I never use it. Sorry

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Walmart Drops $70 Off The Instant Pot Ultra 6

Walmart took a huge price cut on one of themost versatile and advanced Instant Pot multi-use programmable pressure cookers. With its ten cooking modes, 16 pre-programmed smart functions, and enhanced customization, the 6-quart Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Cooker is the right choice for home chefs who want total control when they cook.

We monitor Instant Pot pricing at major retail sites, looking for the best deals on the highest-rated products. The 6-quart Instant Pot Ultra is the right size for four to six people. Whether youre shopping for a gift for Fathers Day, an upcoming wedding, another occasion, or your own kitchen, Walmarts deal for the 6-quart Instant Pot Ultra 10-in-1 cooker can help you save $70.

The Instant Pot Ultra series replaces ten small appliances. You can use the Ultra as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, saute/searing, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer. Each of the cooking modes has optionally available adjustable settings. For example, you can select from three temperature in the Keep Warm function or three heat levels for sauteing or thickening.

You select the Instant Pot Ultras functions, programs, and custom settings from a control panel with a large, blue LCD. Choose functions with one-touch buttons then use the large dial on the bottom of the panel for fine-tuning.

Editors’ Recommendations

Can You Air Fry In An Instant Pot

You sure can. Where the Ninja Foodi’s crisping lid once had a leg up is no longer Instant Pot’s blind spot. The fall 2019 collection brought the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, which opened the door for a collection of other air-frying Instant Pots with Pro, Plus, or both tacked onto the end of the name. There are also multiple dedicated air frying convection ovens by Instant Brands that do not pressure cook.

For folks who already have an Instant Pot and don’t want to replace it just to buy the Duo Crisp, Instant Pot released a standalone air fryer lid that attaches to regular Instant Pots and turns them into an air fryer. This lid works on all existing models with the exception of the Instant Pot Pro Plus, the now- discontinued Duo Evo Plus, Duo SV, Smart WiFi, or Max. This lid is compatible with the Duo Nova, which is also discontinued.

Still confused about what air frying even is? Read our simplified explanation of the crisping craze and check out some of the best air fryers.

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The Best Electric Pressure Cooker Is An Instant Pot

In 2021, Instant Pot streamlined its offerings. Weve tested the updated Duo, Duo Plus, and Pro models.

The Instant Pot is probably the most well-known electric pressure cookermore accurately called a multi-cooker because it can also slow cook, sauté, and morebut many brands make this handy type of appliance. A good electric pressure cooker can help get dinner on the table quickly and easily even when youre swamped. Of the 18 models weve tested from a variety of brands since 2016, the Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart is still our favorite. It offers great performance at a reasonable price, and its tried-and-true design makes it easier to use than other multi-cookers or gimmicky smart cookers.

Looking for things to make in your Instant Pot? Try these recipes for bone broth, corned beef and cabbage, salsa verde chicken, and classic beef chili from NYT Cooking.

Our pick

The Duo is a versatile time-saver in the kitchen. Its one of Instant Pots more basic and affordable models, and it does everything you need it to do with ease.

Buying Options

*At the time of publishing, the price was $90.

Brand New Interface & Display

Instant Pot Ultra, 6 qt.

ULTRA has a brand new interface and a cool LCD display that makes it look pretty hi-tech! That’s a good thing right? So, instead of pressing buttons for programs, you have a central dial that you rotate to get to.

I have to be honest, when I first started using the dial, I wasn’t a fan. The dial is way too sensitive and I kept going back and forth, trying to get to my setting. I was also comparing it to the convenience of pressing ONE button and selecting the function that I want, instead of having to navigate through the interface till I got to one I wanted.

For example, say I wanted to cook chicken for 8 mins, let’s compare the number of steps:

Instant Pot DUO:

  • Press ‘Pressure Cook ,
  • Press the +/- sign till you get ‘8’.
  • Instant Pot ULTRA, when you turn it on, it activates the last program you used, so

  • Rotate the dial and navigate to “Pressure Cook”, press dial to select it.
  • Rotate to ‘Time”, press dial to select it
  • Rotate dial to get to ‘8″, press to select it
  • Press START
  • But after a few days of using it, I was more comfortable with it. It didn’t take me as much time to select the program that I wanted, because I was more familiar with the interface. First time Instant Pot owners won’t experience this learning curve, since they won’t have to unlearn old ways.

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